A 4-day study tour to Tainan and Kaohsiung was jointly organised by Biology Panel and Careers Guidance Team in July 17-20, 2017. 37 students from Secondary 4 and 5, and 3 escort teachers joined the tour. We aimed to learn more about the conservation work done by some non-government organisations and Tainan government, and understand the possible admission paths for universities in Taiwan. Let us highlight some of the meaningful activities we attended.

On the first day, we visited the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium. The museum consisted of three main themes, namely the Waters of Taiwan, the Coral Kingdom and the Waters of the World. It was like a giant real-life biology textbook. We were impressed by seeing many different types of beautiful marine animals, for example, baby whale and some colourful coral fish. It was such a wonderful and though-provoking experience. I remembered that one of the groups discussed the ethical issue of keeping animals in an aquarium for educational purpose in the sharing session, which was held in the evening on 19 July. Due to the flight delay, it is a pity that we could only stay in the museum for about two hours.

On the following day, we visited the Pheasant Eco-Educational Nature Park. It was a place full of little bugs and some water birds. We learnt that wild animals, especially the water birds, are facing various challenges in Taiwan through a mass game. Challenges included the reducing size of natural habitat as fewer and fewer farmers chose to grow floating plants, and the pollution problem brought by the human activities. The game helped us reveal that the natural environment was so easily threatened in a way that we may not notice. After the discussion, we took a walk in the park and observed some water birds using binoculars. After lunch, we went to an incinerator in the West Town. It was amazing to learn how the incinerator was operated. We were even allowed to walk into a building where two large incinerators were burning the domestic waste. Surprisingly, the place was not smelly at all. One of my groupmates suggested that we may learn the technology from Taiwan government if we decide to build an incinerator in Hong Kong.

On the third day, we went to the National Cheng Kung University of Taiwan. Teacher and student representative clearly introduced the characteristics of the school and explained the various admission methods for studying in Taiwan. After the sharing session, we visited ‘the Magic School of Green Technologies’ in their campus. It was awarded to be the greenest building in the world as it could save about 65% of the energy use of the whole building. The designers have applied a lot of green strategies in the building, for instance, they tried to increase the airflow inside, so wind could be created and this greatly reduced the demand of air-conditioning at indoor areas.

On the last day, we visited Chang Jung Christian University. It was our honour to receive such a warm welcome from Dr. Li, the President of the University. This school does not only focus on the academic performance of their students, but also help international students enjoy the school life, and develop various soft skills that make graduates to be ready for work. Facilities, including a large kitchen for students studying Hospitality Service to have practices, and a modern studio which was equipped with a large laser-cutting machine and several high-speed 3D printers, were available in the campus.

To conclude, joining a study tour helped us widen the horizon and learn to be more independent. It was such an unforgettable memory to us.